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'Dayton's monkey' to be on display at the Science Museum in St. Paul

Remains of a monkey were found recently in the former Minneapolis Dayton's Department Store. On Thursday, April 12, 2018, Gov. Mark Dayton said a money escaped when he worked at his family's store, but another family also has come forward saying the monkey had been stolen, then returned to the store. Old Minneapolis / Facebook

ST. PAUL -- The mummified monkey found in the former Minneapolis Dayton's department store building will soon be on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.

The monkey carcass, which was discovered in an air duct during recent renovation work, will be moved to the Kellogg Boulevard museum within the week, according to Science Museum spokeswoman Kim Ramsden.

Although the details of the display are still being worked out, the monkey will be placed in the building's lobby, where the public may view it without paying an admission fee, Ramsden said in an email.

The monkey's discovery last month in the former downtown department store was first noted by the Facebook page Old Minneapolis. Social media fascination ensued, with the monkey even featured in a Twitter account.

Various theories have been advanced about the primate's origins, all from the 1960s. Some said the monkey was an escapee from the store's pet shop; others said it was stolen from the shop but later set free inside the store by the pranksters; and Gov. Mark Dayton, whose family founded the iconic retailing company, said he believed it got loose from a rainforest-themed display.